Too long gone...

     It's been a while since my last update, and quite a bit has happened, though here I will be brief.  After my last post, John and I went up to Rishikesh together.  It is about 7 hours north, on the Ganges River.  Rishikesh is a small town, but considers itself the "yoga capitol of the world."  It's surrounded by forested hills and chock-full of ashrams.  John spent one evening there with me, and we went to the Parmarth Niketan Ashram for the evening ganga aarti- a daily religious ceremony at sunset with singing and chanting on the bank of the river.  After, people light wicks dipped in ghee and set them afloat on the river as an offering.  Rishikesh was also crowded backpackers, though almost in a refreshing way.  The busy bazaars, good food, nature, and general laid-back/spiritual feeling made it a place we will certainly travel back to.

so many monkeys!

Shiva

John with his offering to cast down the river

After John left Rishikesh, I travelled 10 km north of town and began my week-long stay at the Phool-Chatti Ashram.  Phool-Chatti is a simple but beautiful, small ashram located at the foot of the Himalayas, where the Ganges leaves the mountains.  It's the last ashram a pilgrim will pass before heading up into the mountains known as "the gods' land."  My experience there, as one might imagine, was a deeply personal one, and I would really love to go back in the spring.  To give an idea of my time there, each day we woke up at 5:30 am for morning meditation, then chanting, followed by pranayama (cleansing through breath), then asana yoga, then breakfast.  After breakfast we practiced karmic yoga, then had a 2 hour meditative walk, then lunch. After lunch, we were alloted a bit of free time before the daily lecture/discussion, and then more asana yoga, after which there was the temple pooja, sacred singing, dinner, then evening meditation, then bed.  All of the day, with the exception of the lecture/discussion, was in silence.  It was a full day, in more ways than one; more than anything I felt lucky to be there and to be able to have the experience.

Several days after I returned from Rishikesh, I got to go home for 2 whole weeks!  I needed to alter the status of my visa, so home I flew and spent some much-needed family time.  Since I've been back in Delhi, we've been counting down the days until our epic trip to the south!  We've had some great nights in the meantime, including going to a fashion show at the Leela Palace, and to a traditional wedding of one of John's coworkers.  We went to hear qawwali singers perform devotional songs at the Hazrat Nizam-ud-din Dargah- an Islamic holy shrine, and even celebrated a bit of Christmas!  (There is a surprising amount of Christmas cheer here in Delhi!)

Hazrat Nizam-ud-din Dargah- Sufi shrine

qawwali singers

Delhi Santas!

Tomorrow night, we head out on a 34 hour train ride south- we'll be gone for 2 glorious weeks exploring the corners of Mysore, Ooty, and the Kerala coast!  Namaste till the new year! 

A Welcome Wild Weekend

     Last weekend John returned home after a week-long trip to the Maldives, and for his homecoming we arranged our first experience at an ayurvedic spa.  Ayurveda is a system of traditional Indian medicine that basically involves many herbs and a lot of oil.  (Obviously there is much more to it than that, but it is beyond me- I was only interested in my massage!)  So, without a clue of what to expect from an ayurvedic massage, we set off to a part of town called Merhauli and a tiny spa that reminded me a lot of a Turkish hamam, set in a wooden bungalow-style house on private grounds, surrounded by a small garden.  I must stress that we had no idea what to expect.  John and I were led into our different and private changing rooms by our masseurs (there are no cross-gender massages).  There it was immediately indicated that I was to fully undress in front of this large, older, Indian women.  After a moment of initial shock and accepting the fact that she wasn't budging from her position directly in front of me, I did so, and she hastily wrapped a sheet around me and led me into the massage room.  There I was instructed to sit down (all of this done with gesture since the women- there are 2 of them now- don't speak English) and I received a vigorous head massage with, what at the time seemed to be, a large amount of oil.  After that I hopped up on a large wooden table.  For the next hour I was doused in hot oil and man-handled by these 2 women.  I must chastise anyone whose thoughts have strayed to the inappropriate due to this last sentence.  I'm perfectly aware of how it sounds and must insist that any sexual implication, shock, or giggles be chased from the mind.  That being said- it was glorious!  From fingertips to toes, eyelids, butt, and heels, I got the royal treatment.  Of course I kept laughing to myself at the thought of John experiencing the same thing but at the hands of 2 large men, but honestly, it was one of the best massages I have ever had!  At the end of it all my face was coated with a mask of gunk and my eyes cooled as I lie in the hot, dark, aromatic room.  Afterward, we were led back to our dressing rooms where we could shower (we could have slip-n-slided all the way home, otherwise).  The whole experience is incredible, and I highly recommend it- so long as you can just get naked!

     Saturday we had something equally, if not more, exciting planned- we were going on a food tour of Old Delhi.  A young man named Prahbat started giving these tours in earnest less than a year ago, and in that short amount of time, the tour has become so popular that gives one 3-4 times a week with 4-8 people in each group.  Old Delhi can be very difficult to manage for a non-local (including Indian folks who aren't familiar with the area), and it's very easy to become intimidated by its chaos and stimuli overload.  John and I had been up to Old Delhi by ourselves twice before, feeling quite harried after all of the madness, jostling, and yelling, so it was a huge comfort to be up there with a guide who knew his way around and ushered us (not unlike nervous sheep) from one place to the next.  In 4 hours we covered 7 different eateries and a good portion of the old city.  At every stop Prahbat would remind us, "You don't have to finish it," (which of course is near sacrilege to my ears) because there was always more to come and falling in to a serious food-coma was a grave concern.  We ate golgappas- thin fried shells filled with chickpea, potato, spices, and tamarind-mint water; samosa and dosas; every different type of parantha- doughy flat bread often filled with paneer, vegetables, spices, or garlic, covered in pumpkin chutney, mango pickle, and spicy green chilies; mutton shikh kabobs and mutton masala; tandoori chicken and spiced kofta- meat patties; jalebis- deep fried batter soaked in syrup; and an array of other norms and delicacies each with it's own set of yogurts, sauces, chutneys, and spices.  For anyone who loves food as much as I do- even for those who aren't nearly as fanatical- this was bliss.  It was hot and crowded and the aromas rose from every surface while throngs of people jostled for a spot in each hole-in-the-wall eatery we squeezed.  Needless to say, by 10 pm we were contentedly stuffed. 
     Being Saturday night, we decided to check another thing off our must-do list- have a drink at the Imperial Hotel.  The Imperial was built in the 1930's, designed to be one of the finest monuments in the colonial capital Delhi- a grandiose blend of Victorian and Old colonial architecture.  It is simply gorgeous with several tea rooms, restaurants, and bars, all of which still feel as though they are in a distinctly different and past era.  The bars are all heavy, dark wood, with "pegs" being poured for drinks into proper snifters.  Of course its prices match its beauty so our plan was to indulge in one drink, pretend we were quite fancy, and then retire home.  When we arrived, however, we heard loud music coming from the grounds, and as we peaked our heads in, we saw, to our utter delight, that there was a wedding reception!  Once again, we put on our best we-belong-here confidence and strolled right in to the party where there was a stage and band, massive buffet (too bad we were stuffed), a couple of bars, and several hundred glamorous people in the finest Indian dress.  How were we so lucky to stumble upon such an event!  Clearly, based on the look of the guests, the location of the reception, and the clear indication that no expense had been spared, this was the wedding of someone beyond just well-to-do, if not well known.  We talked to few people (one gentleman intimated that he was in the film business- a bollywood wedding perhaps?) and soaked up our surroundings.  We stayed all night, practically closing down the place, lying on large cushioned bolsters as the bride and groom were carried out on a palanquin in a huge procession.  So not only did we get our drink (or several drinks as it were) at the Imperial, but we also crashed our first wedding- check and check!
     An amazing weekend of indulgence preceding this coming week, when I head to the ashram for 8 days of austerity and outer-world disconnection!

Samode Palace

     I have some glorious things to catch up on!  Though I’ve been neglectful the past two weeks, I am now happy to fill in those gaps with some truly spectacular experiences…

     The week before last, John’s company, DevInfo, had their annual, week-long, conference/retreat.  Participants from all over the world attended, including DevInfo employees and UN partners.  The conference was held at the Samode Palace- a majestic and fantastical place!  (Yes- those adjectives are not only both necessary but entirely appropriate.)  The palace is 475 years old, but the most amazing additions were made in the early 19^th century, and it is now the epitome of grandeur and a perfect combination of colonial Raj and ancient Mughal architecture.  It's a palace!  The palace is located in the tiny village of Samode, outside of Jaipur in Rajasthan.  It sits just below the ancient fortress walls and is surrounded by lush hills filled with goats belonging to the local village herdsmen, monkeys, and not a few peacocks.  

     Initially, I was wildly jealous and very sad that John was getting to go to this amazing and beautiful place for a week without me.  However- due to a small, mid-week shuffle of attendants, I was invited to take a van the 5 hours Wednesday morning to spend the latter part of the week at the palace!  The group was all heading back to Delhi Friday afternoon, so I had 2 full days of bliss.  

     The grounds abound with gardens, terraces, balconies, exquisitely ornate sitting rooms, and 2 pools, one of which, I will add, is an infinity pool complete with a hot tub in a gazebo.  Amazing.  Everything was taken care of, and while John and the others were in conferences all day, I had nothing to do but enjoy my spectacular surroundings.  I would have felt ridiculously spoiled, staying in a giant suite with a private terrace in a palace, if I wasn't quite so aware of how lucky I was to be there.  

     I did not spend all of my time lazing about the pool.  One morning I ventured into the village of Samode and met some very interesting people.  The first thing I came across outside of the palace grounds, was the oldest temple in Samode, dedicated to lord Krishna.  A very small, middle-aged gentleman named Makhan offered to show me the temple and explain the old and decrepit shrine and offerings.  As we left the temple, he escorted me into the town, pointing out different buildings and aspects of his village while giving me a brief history.  I certainly did not mind having this impromptu guide- I fully expected that he would ask for payment or that I buy something at the end of his walk, which I was happy to do, as he seemed a kind and knowledgable man.  To have someone show me around and introduce me to local villagers was well a few rupee.  He did not ask for anything, however, only to be able to show me his paintings (without pressure to buy)- he practiced the Rajasthani artisan craft of miniature painting. 

     Before this, though, he introduced me to a lacquer bangle artisan.  The artisan invited me to have chai and watch a demonstration of how the lacquer bangles are made.  It's a fascinating process, which I never would have guessed, whereby the man melted one end of a giant stick of the lac, or gum, while coating it with wax color.  He pulled the now-colored gum like taffy before breaking it off and pounding it out in a mold.  The result was a shiny, beautiful red bangle perfectly fitted on a rod to the size of my wrist, given to me as a gift.  

     After this we walked through the entire village before arriving at Makhan's home, where I met his entire family, including father, brother, and nieces.  It also happened to be his son's fourth birthday!  I was courteously invited to attend the birthday party later that evening, but could not because plans had already been made back at the palace.  Makhan showed me his huge portfolio of wonderfully detailed gouache paintings depicting ancient Mughal life and fantastical stories and myths.  Of course I wanted to support this traditional artisan craft that had been passed down through generations, so I did buy from Makhan.  In fact, John liked my paintings so much, that we both went back to Makhan's house the next day so that he could purchase some too!

     Our last night at the palace, an incredible evening was planned for us.  It began with all of us having our heads wrapped with giant, red turbans.  Then, the entire group was led down a trail around to the front of the palace where guards and camels stood all ornately dressed and decorated in traditional garb, and then the fireworks started.  At the end of the fireworks the entire front of the palace suddenly lit up with tiny lights.  We were escorted to a huge rooftop terrace where drinks and dinner were waiting.  That wasn't all that was waiting though- we were met with a succession of unbelievable traditional performances, including music and various kinds of dancing- several women danced with lit oil lamps on there heads, while another danced with a stack of 8 ceramic bowls upon her head.  There was a man blowing fire and a whirlwind of dancing with bells and large wooden sticks.  Everything was absolutely stunning, and eventually we all joined in with the dancing as well.  

     After a long and glorious night, we tearfully said goodbye to Samode Palace.  I cannot believe I was able to experience such a place and will definitely remember it always!  Hopefully I will be able to share some pictures soon- at the moment I am unable to upload any of the pics I took onto my computer, but as soon as I sort this out, I will post them.  Thank you DevInfo and the wonderful people of Samode!

Expressive Arts Therapy

     Last Sunday John and I attended a workshop run by my friend Veda.  Veda is currently pursuing a masters degree in expressive arts therapy and occasionally runs workshops for both children and adults.  The workshops aim to "promote the freedom of expression through artistic modalities" and strengthen the idea that "by identifying where one stands in life through self expression, one can objectify their stance and work towards betterment or progress."  The workshop was a little more than 5 hours and full of interesting activities that centered around movement, drawing, language, and relationships.  The workshop was a joy for several reasons, but mostly because it provided a safe environment to participate in- everyone was there for the same reason, and everyone at least tried to withhold judgement and set hang-ups aside.  We were free to be as silly and open as we would allow ourselves.
     One activity, in particular, I enjoyed the most, and it centered around our relationships with our families- whatever the word "family" might mean to each individual.  Veda dumped out several bags of small toys, figurines, flowers, leaves, clay, tissue paper, etc., and told us all to gather up whatever we wanted and then to create a representation of our families with it- not to think too much about it or try to analyze before creating, but just to play with the different materials until we created something that related to our idea of family.  This is what I came up with:

Unfortunately, it's hard to see, but I'll try to explain:
The purple mass on the left represents Kentucky where most of my immediate family is, or at least where I consider everyone to be in the sense of "home."  The purple mass on the right is wherever I am that isn't Kentucky- here crudely represented as a hot air balloon.  Standing in the hot air balloon is a small female figurine that is me and to my left, a bull which represents John, as we are currently together physically, in India, and also in the grander sense, emotionally, right now in life.  On the purple KY mass is a figure for each of my 4 parents and 5 siblings, all in a circle facing each other because they are all interconnected and apart of each others' lives.  In the family circle there is a big horse, a little horse, a turkey, a mallard, a goose, a piglet, a big dog, a small dog, and a donkey.  Now I will leave it to question who in my wonderful family was assigned to which animal- it is important to note, however, that I was working with the animals (all farm, of course) which I just happened to grab at the start of the exercise, so too much should not be read into it!  (Also it should be noted that, of course, my family extends far beyond these main players to all of my extended family and friends, whom I am eternally grateful for- there were only so many farm animals!)  The yellow flowers that are between John and I on the ballon and in the family circle represent the friendship amongst all of us; I felt that was particularly important to depict because I have an uncommonly fortunate circumstance in which I can say there is great friendship that extends across the usual boundaries in my family.  The silver tinsel that is strewn in an arc between the two masses represents the technology that allows me to remain close and connected with my family even though at times I feel very far away.  If it weren't for those modern amenities, I'm not sure how easily or comfortably I could live my life with the freedom of travel and distance.  The red flower and silly clay heart are simply the love that exists and which I am eternally grateful for.
     I realize all of this might be a bit sentimental for many of those who know me well (cue silly clay heart) but I really enjoyed this activity and wanted to share it with those involved without their knowledge.  It occurred to me after the workshop that the reason I enjoyed this activity in particular so much was because it allowed me to reflect on my family in a joyful, creative, and seemingly-inconsequential way; it was simply fun play that wasn't given too much thought, and because I miss my family and friends (of course) it was a pleasure to unexpectedly have that opportunity and to realized the deeper implications afterwards (all of which were very positive).
     So thanks to my family and the friends who are very much my family.  I had a wonderful moment thinking of you and it brought me great joy.  I miss and love you all very much!

Time to get out of Delhi!

     How nice it is to get out of the city, even for a day.  On Saturday, John and I went to Chandigarh with Justine, a woman I met through an expat network who is new to Delhi.  Justine and I originally connected when I posted on yuni-net looking for anyone who might be interested in traveling with me to Rishikesh for the ashram.  As it turns out, she's a fantastic gal, originally from Tennessee, who lived in New York for a bit and then Barcelona for the last 4 years.  Since she has just arrived, we invited her to brave the train with us (all of our first experience) and trek north to Chandigarh for the day.
     Chandigarh is one of the few Indian cities to be planned out by an architect, and a french one at that.  The architect LeCorbusier gave Chandigarh a grid design with broad avenues and a sense of order not often found in other cities.  It is also exceptionally green and clean, and the plans also included a large artificial lake complete with paddle boats.
     The main reason to go to Chandigarh, however, is the Nek Chand Fantasy Rock Garden- a 25 acre rock/sculpture "garden" that is like falling down the rabbit hole into the fantasy land of Mr. Chand's mind.  It's genesis in incredible- following India's independence, many refugees were flooding across the borders and villages were cleared in the construction of new towns, including Chandigarh.  Nek Chand saw the amount of waste generated and hauled the matter back to his village home where he turned it into sculpture.  Eventually he had tens of thousands of forms made, sprawling into secretly sculpted spaces, that were, as it turns out, illegally occupying government land.  When it was all discovered, 15 years after it was started, it was almost demolished until the local council recognized the garden as a culture asset.  Chand was given 50 laborers and salary to devote himself to the project.  What remains is an exceptional hideaway from time and reality that cannot really be conveyed through words...

     After the winding, lush land of Nek Chand, we grabbed a bite and then headed to the lake for a bit of paddle-boating.  A fantastic afternoon to enjoy the lakeside promenade and a spin in a quite ancient paddle boat shaped like a dragon.

     This trip was Justine's first experience having her picture taken with locals- an odd phenomenon considering how many tourists (many of them fair) there must be, and yet it never ceases, especially at tourist sites.  I've had the pleasure/inconvenience (depending on how you look at it) of having my picture take with a family of 15, and then individually with each family member!  It is somewhat baffling to think of how many stranger's have a photo with their arm around me- a proud moment, to be sure!

A very cultural weekend!

     This past weekend was an amazing one and a good thing too because John is off again for a week to Uganda!  On Friday the kids from Very Special Arts participated in a dance competition with other kids from special needs schools and programs around Delhi at the India International Center.  There were 17 different groups of kids with various disabilities performing, and they were so wonderful!  They had amazing costumes and some had story lines and speeches about their dances; all of the kids seemed thrilled to be apart of the competition, and worked very hard on the performances.  It was wonderful for me to be another face there supporting them.

     Determined to take full advantage of the weekend before John left, we decided to check out the Grand Hotel on Friday night.  The Grand is a large, somewhat opulent, hotel right by our house; apparently it used to be quite popular, but after a large fire a year ago and a somewhat strange and hidden location, it's tide has turned and often sits empty.  We had heard, however, that they have a lovely bar and an even better pool, so we thought it best to check it out for ourselves and at least have a cocktail.  Well- we had no idea what we were walking in to!  As we approached on foot, we saw tons of cars lining the service road leading up to The Grand, and then saw the massive colored lights and banners exclaiming that Men's Fashion Week was being held there at the moment.  We walked in, suddenly standing up a bit straighter and looking a bit more entitled, and breezed past reception to the lounges, several of which were set up promoting different libations.  We were promptly given wrist bands and drinks while people asked to take our picture.  Assuming we could be someone important, we gave no indication otherwise and thoroughly enjoyed our free drinks before heading to the hall where the runway was set up and an impromptu dance party gathering.  We jumped up on stage and shimmied with people who clearly were "important" and gawked at ourselves and our luck.  Stuffed on passed hors d'oeuvres, free wine, and camera flashes, we headed home, quite pleased with ourselves and looking forward to a Saturday.

     Saturday did not disappoint.  After a leisurely morning, we went first to the Indira Ghandi Museum, housed in her former residence.  It has photos, artifacts, personal belongings, and newspaper clippings detailing her life until her assassination in 1984.  From there we walked to Ghandi Smriti- the Mahatma Ghandi memorial, a fairly large estate that includes a museum, his prayer spot, and a martyr column on the spot where he died, after having been shot by a religious zealot in 1948.  The grounds were beautiful and included an impressive statue of Ghandi with children, pavilion, and a World Peace Gong.

    From the memorial, we headed to one of our favorite cheap, Southern Indian eateries at Connaught Place before going over the the Park Hotel, where I had read there was a dance company from New York performing.  Five years ago the Park Hotel started the the Park's New Festival- a performing arts festival all over India, beginning in Delhi.  On Saturday night the Parijat Desai Dance Company from New York performed, blending Indian classical and Western contemporary styles in 2 amazing pieces.  The venue in the Park Hotel was beautiful though quite small, and once again we found ourselves warmly greeted by camera flashes, food, and cocktails!  How we were so lucky to stumble upon two such great events in one weekend, I have no idea.  Granted, I had read about the performance in a magazine, but was shocked that there weren't more people there, especially considering the nature of the event- that being artistically amazing, catered, and FREE.

     The only detractor from such a fantastic day/night was rushing home to get John packed and on a plane to Uganda.  This week I busy myself with yoga, the sweet kids at VSA, a gallery show, and Hindi lessons (gulp), but I look forward to another wonderful weekend, stumbling around Delhi into the most wonderful places.    

Good food but empty house...

     It's been 2 weeks since I last checked in, and it seems as though a lot, and yet nothing, has happened since then.  The weekend before this past one, there was a work party for the company John works for at a fantastically swank place.  We ate, drank, and DANCED.  Oh yes, everyone had the spirit (or spririts shall we say) of fun in them and by the end of the evening, it was a full-blown dance-off, Bollywood-style!  So much fun and a great release, especially since at 5 am following the party, John had to hop a flight to Dublin.  He was gone for a week, working mostly, but also enjoying the famed Irish joys of Guinness, cool weather, beautiful landscapes, and pub culture.  Yes, I was sad that I had been left all by my lonesome for  a week to tend to our little flat in Delhi, but it wasn't all bad- I was introduced to a side of Delhi culture that couldn't have resembled my dearly-missed, New York, restaurant/foodie days more- and I mean that, of course, in the of best ways.
     The head of John's company must have taken pity on my left-behind soul because he called me up and invited me to a private food tasting at a new restaurant that was about to open.  One of the partners at the restaurant was a good friend of his and I happily joined, eager to try the molecular-gastronomy side of Delhi food and excited at the prospect of cocktails and conversation.  The restaurant was amazing- still a work in progress, set to open in 3-4 weeks, but the food, fantastic- shiitake mushroom canapes, chicken pate, lobster bisque, fresh tagliatelle, charred watermelon, and STEAK!  My first cow in months and delicious!  Not to mention other small bites and several desserts, each course paired with a different specialty cocktail- really top notch and exquisitely presented.  My hat off to the chef at the soon-to-be Smokehouse Room, Delhi!  
     The rest of the week I went to yoga, volunteered with the kids, worked on a couple of pieces, watched the occasional movie, and pitter-pattered about eating mostly popcorn and cheesy toast.  I must say, I regress culinarily when alone.
     At 4:00 am Sunday morning, John returned from Ireland, and while I'm thrilled to have him back, he'll be heading off to Uganda next weekend!  We've got a great week together ahead of us, and hopefully it will work out that I can join on these trips occasionally in the future.  In the meantime, I am looking forward to cooler weather, the festival and wedding season, and a trip of my own to Rishikesh in October!  We'll also be planning a longer trip down south to Kerala in December so if anyone would like to join us on a houseboat, cruising the backwaters, speak now!

p.s- changed the text background of this blog- easier to read?

a break in the dancing at Second Sin where the DevInfo company party was held

BEST Bollywood hot new song to shake your booty to!  

LOVE IT!

A long weekend with 2 holidays!

     This past weekend was our first holiday weekend in Delhi, which meant that about half of the city was gone.  We considered leaving as well, though it turned out to be quite advantageous to stay as there was less traffic and fewer people to fight for the weekend sights.  Saturday was a holiday called Raki- or Brother/Sister Day.  On this holiday, sisters tie red threads, or rakis, around their brothers' wrists.  The brothers then give the sisters small gifts and vow to protect them.  It's a very festive day with lots of family, love, and gift-giving.  All of the markets have been filled with stands selling rakis, which have become more and more ornate and are now sometimes quite fancy, made with different jewels and charms.
      For our Saturday we went to Humayun's Tomb, which was the precursor to the Taj Mahal and almost as large.  It's amazing that this huge structure with expansive grounds is just sitting in the middle of south Delhi!

After Humayan's Tomb, we beat it to Khan Market where we picked up some new books and enjoyed a leisurely late-afternoon coffee with our exciting new reads.
     Sunday night we went to a comedy show, of all things!  Apparently, stand-up comedy has only recently begun to pick up steam in India, mainly Delhi, and there was a series of acts billed under the "Cheese Monkey Mafia" performing in Gurgaon, a sort of satellite city southwest of Delhi.  The acts were, for the most part, really entertaining and mostly in English.  We certainly felt on the outside of a few cultural inside-jokes, but overall it was really fun.
     On Monday- Independence Day- after meeting up with a former professor of John's for lunch, we stopped by an amazing temple, Mata Ka Mandir, and then hit another big site- the Lotus Temple.
The Lotus Temple, or Bahai House of Worship, was built in the shape of a lotus flower in 1986 by an Iranian-Canadian architect.  There are 27 white, marble "petals" in all!

In the Mata Ka Mandir Temple

The Lotus Temple

     After all of that, we of course flew a kite, just like all the little kids of Delhi.  Or I should say that John attempted to and briefly succeeded at flying a kite while I watched.  A very good, albeit rainy, weekend for the sites of Delhi!